Would you like wine with that burger?

July 5, 2010 12:49:45 PM PDT

June 29, 2010 --

Many people like to drink beer when they enjoy a hamburger. But that's not your only choice, says Tanya Hart of Taste of Vino, wine shop, wine bar and bistro in suburban Western Springs. Tanya says you can find good, affordable wines to enjoy with your favorite burger. She is especially proud of the TOV burger, created by Chef Mark Downing. "We believe we have one of the tastiest burgers in the Chicagoland area and we challenge you all to think the same!" Tanya says. ABC 7's Sylvia Perez agrees, calling it the best burger she ever had.

Tanya and Chef Mark have come up with a list of summer value wines to go with their burger (or the ones you grill yourself), as well as seasonal dishes featured at the wine bar and bistro: Summer Beet Salad with asparagus, ricotta salata cheese, balsamic reduction and olive oil; TOV House Specialty Chicken, A 24 hour brined, wood burning rotisserie half a chicken, with sautéed summer vegetables and herb jus, and Dry Rubbed and Grilled pork tenderloin with paprika dusted potato wedges, slaw and southern style BBQ sauce.

You can make the TOV burger and other dishes at home with the recipes they have provided, or enjoy them at Taste of Vino Wine Shop, Wine Bar and Bistro, 821 W Burlington Ave., Western Springs; 708-246-8668. You can also visit the Taste of Vino Wine Shop and Wine Bar at 24 W. Chicago Avenue, Hinsdale, IL 60521, 630-325-8466. For more information, check out the TOV website: www.atasteofvino.com

Wine pairings for summer burger grilling

2008 Allendorf Spatburgunder - Rose - Germany - $11.99 Summer isn't summer without Rose and this gem from Germany is just fantastic. Fresh, zippy with bright juicy fruit, it will stand up to all kinds of foods and is especially good as a 'patio pounder'

2008 Solnia (Tempranillo, Graciano blend) -Rioja, Spain - $10.99 This is not your old world style wine from Rioja. Juicy and fresh with lively spice and depth, just a great summer red for grillin or sippin.

2006 The Garden Path - (Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon Blend) - Australia - $15.99 Lush juicy fruit, with rich yummy spice. This wine is big and bold and will stand up to lots of grilled meats. Its soft enough for just drinking without food too!

TOV Hamburger with Caramelized Onions and Garlic Aioli

Serves 4

Ingredients

2.5 pounds freshly ground chuck

1 Tablespoon diced shallots

1 Tablespoon chopped parsley

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 slices white Cheddar, or crumbled blue cheese

4 Pretzel hamburger buns (From Labriola Bakery)

Garlic Aioli, recipe follows

4 leaves butter lettuce

Caramelized onions, recipe follows

Tomatoes, sliced

Ketchup

Directions

Preheat grill

Mix beef, shallots, parsley and salt and pepper. Divide the beef into 4 (10-ounce) burgers. Season on both sides with salt and pepper, to taste. Grill for 6 to 8 minutes on each side for medium-rare doneness. During last minutes of cooking add cheese of choice to each burger, cover grill and let melt, approximately 1 minute. Place burger on bun and top with garlic aioli (recipe below), lettuce, tomatoes, caramelized onions (Recipe Below), and ketchup.

Garlic Aioli

1 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

4 tablespoons finely minced garlic

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Salt

In a food processor, combine all ingredients well. Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.

Caramelized Onions

3 tablespoons butter

Pinch of Sugar

2 large onions, thinly sliced

Salt and Pepper

Directions "Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and toss to coat with butter. Cover and slowly cook onions, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until a golden Color is reached. Turn heat up to medium high and begin to brown the onions, stirring constantly about 10 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper

Dry Rubbed Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Chipotle BBQ Sauce Slaw

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon dried thyme

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon mustard powder

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon salt

2 tablespoons Spanish paprika

1/2 tablespoon black pepper

1 (1 1/2 pound) pork tenderloin

Directions

Combine all ingredients except the tenderloin and mix together. Cover the tenderloin with the rub and marinate for 30 minutes.

In a large, heavy saucepan heat the oil over medium heat and add the onion and garlic. Sauté until they begin to wilt. Add the ketchup and chipotle sauce and sauté for 4 minutes. Add all of the remaining ingredients stir and let simmer for 30 to 40 minutes. As the sauce thickens, stir more often so it does not scorch. Remove the sauce from the heat and allow it to cool. Place the sauce in a blender and puree.

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Simmer, stirring, until sugar is dissolved; pour over vegetables and toss well. Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

Brined Roast Chicken with Herb Jus

Ingredients:

1 cup kosher salt or 1/2 cup iodized or plain salt

1 quart hot water

3 quarts cold water

1 chicken, about 6 1/2 lb

2 Tbs. unsalted butter, at room temperature

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

4 fresh thyme sprigs

4 cloves garlic peeled

1 small yellow onion, coarsely chopped

1 Tablespoon black peppercorns

1/2 cup brown sugar

For the wine jus:

1/2 cup crisp, dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc

1 tablespoon fresh thyme

1 tablespoon fresh parsley

1 cup chicken stock

1 Tbs. chilled unsalted butter

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions:

In a plastic container or stainless-steel bowl large enough to hold the chicken, stir and dissolve the salt and sugar in the hot water. Add the cold water and stir, add thyme, garlic, onions and peppercorns. Rinse the chicken, and then submerge it in the brine. Cover and refrigerate for 12-24 hours, the longer the better.

Preheat an oven to 400°F.

Remove the chicken from the brine and pat dry with paper towels. Rub with the butter and season inside and out with pepper.

Place the chicken on its side on a V-shaped rack in a roasting pan. Roast for 30 minutes. Turn the chicken on its other side and roast for 30 minutes more. Turn the chicken on its back and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, away from the bone, registers 170°F, about 45 minutes more. Pour the juices from the chicken cavity into the pan and transfer the chicken to a warmed platter. Cover loosely with aluminum foil and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the herb jus. Strain the cooking juices into a bowl. Skim off any visible fat from the surface and pour the juices back into the roasting pan. Set the pan on 2 burners over medium-high heat. Add the wine and boil until reduced by half, about 1 minute. Add the stock and boil until the liquid is reduced to 1/2 cup, about 6 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter and herbs. Season with salt and pepper.

Carve the chicken and serve hot with the herb jus and your choice of sides.

Roasted Beet Salad

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the salad:

3 medium yellow beets (about 1 pound), stems trimmed off

3 medium red beets (about 1 pound), stems trimmed off

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 cups baby Arugula

1/4 pound shaved Ricotta Salata cheese

8 spears grilled asparagus

For the dressing:

3 cups raspberry vinaigrette

1/4 cup honey

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Pinch salt and pepper

3/4 cup salad oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the beets in a baking pan, drizzle with the oil, and season with salt. Cover with foil. Bake for about 1 hour, or until tender when pierced with a knife.

While the beets are roasting, make the dressing: Combine everything put the salad oil, whisk together. Slowly whisk in oil until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper

When cool enough to handle, peel the beets, and thinly slice them into rounds. Arrange on a serving platter lay asparagus over beets and drizzle with the dressing. In a large bowl, toss the Arugula with the remaining dressing and place on top of beets in the center of the platter.

Using a microplane grater, grate the desired amount of cheese over the salad

ABOUT TANYA HART Born in the UK, Tanya grew up in a family of wine and food. Never thinking wine would be a career Tanya's passion was writing, her major Journalism. Around 1982, while freelance writing in Los Angeles, Tanya stumbled into the wine business and went to work for two leading wineries managing their distribution to fine restaurants and retailers in Southern California.

Tanya got married in 1993 and moved with her husband to Northern California, where she opened up her own wholesale wine company selling small boutique wineries to top restaurants and retailers in the Bay Area. In 1999 Tanya and her family moved to Illinois where she went to work as a manager for a local wholesaler. In 2003 Tanya worked with the village of Hinsdale to create an ordinance to open a wine shop. Taste of Vino became the first licensed wine shop in the town.

Over the last twenty eight years, Tanya has cultivated many relationships in the wine industry from all over the world, has accumulated a wealth of wine information and fine tuned a worthy palate. In 2007 Tanya Hart's Taste of Vino was named by Chicago Magazine as 'Best Local Wine Shop' and continues to be one of the more innovative and progressive wine shops in the country. In 2008 Tanya opened Taste of Vino restaurant in Western Springs; Tanya says she needed something good to eat with all that wine! Tanya lives in Western Springs with her husband and two children.

ABOUT CHEF MARK DOWNING

A native of the Chicago Area, Mark studied at The Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago. He began his career at The Greenery in Barrington learning from 3 Star Chef David Koelling. Following graduation, Mark stayed on at The Greenery and worked his way into the sous chef position, fine tuning his culinary skills. After The Greenery Mark took a position as sous chef with Susan Goss, at Zinfandel in Chicago where he became enamored with Regional American Cuisine.

Following Zinfandel, Mark hooked up with Chef David Koelling again and took on the roll as Chef of Biloxi Grill in Wauconda where he received three stars from the Chicago tribune and many other accolades.

Yearning to get back into his French roots, Mark took a Position as Executive Chef at Bistro Banlieue in Lombard with restaurateur Steve Byrne, where he took the restaurant to a new level, receiving 3 star from the Chicago Tribune, Sun-times and Chicago Magazine.

Steve Byrne, who gave Bistro Banlieue to the suburbs, decided after 17 years that it had outlived its usefulness, so he closed it, redecorated it, and reopened it as a contemporary American restaurant named Sequel. The magic worked. Chef Mark stayed on and shifted culinary gears smoothly, moving the food up several notches in sophistication to match the new look, but keeping some French accents. The Chicago Tribune Awarded Sequel with 3 stars and Chicago magazine voted it Best New Restaurant 2007.

After a 2 year run Mark moved on to, A Taste of Vino in Western Springs as Executive Chef/GM where he continues to master his craft and pursue his passion.